Policy Tensions Between Discourses on Internationalisation and Gender in Swedish Higher Education

Abstract

One emphasised discourse in Swedish higher education policy is internationalisation, which is in line with EU recommendations to ensure a sustainable knowledge system. This knowledge system, perhaps especially in Sweden, also emphasises the importance of gender equity. In this study, we are interested in the recontextualisation between discourses of internationalisation and gender in Swedish higher education (HE) at both national and local levels. We use critical discourse analysis to examine two different examples: (1) discourses in national HE policy, and, (2) discourses at a Swedish university and one of its departments.

Overall, we find that government discourses on HE are recontextualised in ways that support national, standardised interests rather than local university needs. Although these discourses emphasise the importance of both internationalisation and gender through articulations of mobility, sustainability and equity, there are strong individualistic aspirations in line with a meritocratic system. These patterns are even more pronounced at the local university level, where these discourses join to promote certain successful departments and academic subjects. In conclusion, the findings illustrate how the recontextualisation between internationalisation and gender discourses legitimises the prevailing gender divide — not the other way around — but also that this recontextualisation can create tensions and changes.